{"id":20227,"date":"2026-01-14T23:51:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/interview-carl-gambino-on-building-an-intuitive-art-collection-2\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T23:51:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:51:44","slug":"interview-carl-gambino-on-building-an-intuitive-art-collection-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/interview-carl-gambino-on-building-an-intuitive-art-collection-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Carl Gambino On Building an Intuitive Art Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Carl Gambino and Sarah Ivory at home, where collecting is inseparable from daily life. Painting by Sholto Blissett | Photo: Gloria Kilbourne<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The art world can be challenging to navigate for non-insiders, and even more so for a young couple entirely new to the world of collecting. Yet research suggests that humans are instinctively driven to collect objects, images and other aesthetic traces that come to reflect a life, its movements and its memories. Carl Gambino<\/a> and Sarah Ivory<\/a>\u2019s collecting journey began organically, as they brought back artworks from their travels\u2014souvenirs not only of places, but also of human encounters, as they often sought out local artists. That early, unformed approach to collecting eventually evolved into something more deliberate and ultimately became intertwined with their professional lives and their growing family.<\/p>\n

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Observer met Gambino, who\u2019s in real estate, and Ivory, who\u2019s in interior design, in their two-floor riverfront home in Brooklyn Heights. Both are in their early forties, and they moved into the property with their two kids just a year ago. Even so, everything about their home feels not only highly curated in terms of the dialogue between art and furniture but also carefully calibrated and seamlessly integrated into the lived rhythm of a family home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe already had an existing collection to place, but I tend to move very fast when it comes to design in general,\u201d Ivory, who curated the interior, said. \u201cI also know that the art we bring in is almost always very colorful, so I try to keep the surrounding palette fairly neutral. That way, the color can really come from the work itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vibrant palettes and lively compositions dominate many of the works on view, punctuating the clean, minimal interior with vivid notes. The architecture favors neutral tones and warm materials, allowing the art to take center stage. \u201cSarah always loved incredibly colorful art. I was on a very colorful-art kick for many years, too, though lately I\u2019ve found myself drawn to darker work,\u201d Gambino reflected.<\/p>\n

Much of this chromatic energy emanates from contemplative landscapes, lush forests and harmonious floral compositions\u2014sometimes figurative, sometimes abstract\u2014that engage in a quiet dialogue with the park\u2019s greenery outside, coming alive as they are bathed in natural light.<\/p>\n

A lyrical work by Tianyue Zhong<\/a>, characterized by harmonious layers of nature-inspired abstract brushstrokes, is elegantly encased within a custom-made library. The structure also accommodates smaller artworks and design objects. \u201cI wanted to create something special for Carl\u2019s favorite piece,\u201d Ivory explains, noting how the setup also facilitates frequent rotation, since smaller works can simply rest within the structure without the need for drilling. Still, works have already rotated multiple times throughout the house, as they try to display all that they\u2019ve collected over the years at one point or another.<\/p>\n

Carl Gambino grew up in New Jersey in an Italian American family, while Sarah Ivory was raised in Miami by a Colombian mother and an American father\u2014both environments offering limited exposure to wild, expansive nature beyond the tropical coastlines. That untamed natural world is something they\u2019ve both longed for. \u201cI think we both love Europe, and we love being there. And I think we\u2019re drawn to that feeling of nature in the work,\u201d Ivory notes.<\/p>\n

If contemplation of nature recurs across the collection, another equally present thread is found in intimate moments and fragments of daily life, often centered around domestic settings\u2014a tablecloth, a corner of a room, an unguarded gesture. One of the artists the Gambinos have collected extensively is Claudia Keep<\/a>, whose painterly practice\u2014often focused on small formats\u2014reveals the quiet complexity of quotidian moments.<\/p>\n

Their collecting process is largely shared, though acquisitions often arrive with a sense of urgency\u2014particularly on Gambino\u2019s side\u2014as he constantly scans for new talent and takes steps to secure works before an artist\u2019s trajectory takes off. That pressure sometimes clashes with the pace of everyday life, but it\u2019s a dynamic embedded in the market\u2014and one that, for Gambino, makes discovery not only exciting but also timely.<\/p>\n

Since he began collecting, Gambino has demonstrated not only a keen eye but also the tenacity to pursue his intuition relentlessly, activating every possible channel to secure works he believes in. He recalls calling, texting, and emailing repeatedly to obtain a piece by Alejandro Pi\u00f1ero Bello<\/a> from the artist\u2019s first gallery, KDR, just as his career was beginning to take off.<\/p>\n

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The dialogue between art and furniture is carefully calibrated for a family environment. Painting by Alejandro Pineiro Bello | Photo: Gloria Kilbourne<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This, despite having actually discovered him much earlier\u2014during a trip to Cuba that coincided with the Havana Biennial. \u201cWe were collecting very instinctively. If we went to Colombia, Cuba or other places, we would simply observe, try to meet some local artists and purchase a variety of works,\u201d Gambino recalls. \u201cIn 2014, we went to Cuba during the Havana Biennial and visited what used to be a country club that had been converted into a massive art school, where Alejandro and many other Cuban artists studied. We ended up buying several pieces directly from students there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recalling that time, the couple admits they knew very little about the system\u2014the broader machinery of the art world. Ivory\u2019s father was an artist, but not a commercially successful one. He understood the art world, yet never truly attempted to participate in it as a market. \u201cI grew up around artists, but not the glamorous side of art,\u201d Ivory recalls, describing a childhood shaped by precarity\u2014by the tension between her father\u2019s creative conviction and the necessities of everyday survival. Gambino\u2019s experience was even further removed. \u201cI was born in the city but grew up in New Jersey, in an Italian American family with absolutely no art education. The art in our house was more like home d\u00e9cor\u2014things that literally said, \u2018Your house is a home,’\u201d he shares. \u201cBut for as long as I can remember, I\u2019ve been drawn to art. I still feel that it makes life better, that it adds something essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their entry point was through key relationships that helped them find their footing in the art world. Early on, Gambino met Kim Hastreiter<\/a>, co-founder of Paper magazine, who describes herself as an \u201cobsessive collector.\u201d She opened her collection to him and played a pivotal role in shaping his journey as a collector. Through her, he was introduced to Marsea Goldberg, founder of New Image in Los Angeles, a small gallery with an outsized impact, known for nurturing artists early while guiding new collectors. For Gambino, as for many young collectors, these early relationships proved foundational. \u201cThey taught me to buy only what I love,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Drawing on the soft skills developed through his real estate career, Gambino quickly learned that relationship-building was just as essential in the art world\u2014not only for access, but also for timing, insight and, ultimately, negotiation.<\/p>\n

From New Image, Gambino acquired one of their earliest contemporary works: a painting by Jeffrey Cheung<\/a>. Though Cheung\u2019s market never spiked dramatically, his colorful, playful and absurdist compositions\u2014with figures multiplying as if to suggest the many dimensions of the self\u2014continue to fascinate the couple. Over time, they acquired multiple works by him, as they did with other artists they deeply believe in, including Claudia Keep and Alejandro Pi\u00f1ero Bello.<\/p>\n

For the couple, collecting multiples is both a way to support an artist\u2019s trajectory and to assemble a meaningful group of works that truly reflects a practice. \u201cOver time, and from other collectors, we picked up this idea that when you really believe in an artist, you try to live with more than one work. Two or three, if possible,\u201d Gambino said. \u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ve carried through the collection\u2014we own multiples of almost everyone we love.\u201d<\/p>\n

In just ten years, the pair\u2019s collection has grown to over 100 works. What began as spontaneous passion gradually turned into something closer to obsession\u2014particularly for Gambino. New works arrive almost every month, although they have attempted to establish a monthly budget, and Ivory diligently tries to archive everything digitally, keeping pace with Gambino\u2019s rhythm proves challenging, as his acquisitions remain guided primarily by instinct, eye and emotion before any ratio. \u201cThere were periods this year when things just kept arriving\u2014sometimes not small things at all. Like that huge wooden crate,\u201d Ivory said. \u201cI loved it. It almost turned into an obsession,\u201d Gambino added.<\/p>\n

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Works in the living room reflect a collection shaped by travel, relationships and time. Painting by Cynthia Talmadge | Photo: Gloria Kilbourne<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yet, the connection with both the work and its creator remains an essential part of the couple\u2019s collection, which is why the focus stays firmly on emerging artists rather than celebrity names. That path, Gambino explains, is far more exciting and meaningful: it allows for collecting with intention, often with tangible impact on an artist\u2019s career and, frequently, the formation of genuine relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the idea of supporting what\u2019s new,\u201d Gambino explained, noting how some of his collector friends\u2014those more financially driven\u2014question why he doesn\u2019t concentrate on acquiring single works by established names. \u201cI\u2019d rather buy many works that I genuinely love and support the artists making them,\u201d he said. \u201cArt isn\u2019t how I make money. I make money in real estate. If I want a safe return, I can put three hundred thousand into a property and know it\u2019ll perform. With art, it\u2019s different. It\u2019s about the pleasure of living with it\u2014wanting the work around you, every day, as part of your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sole blue-chip work in the collection is a David Hockney<\/a> iPad drawing. But Gambino loves to be actively involved, supporting artists early and witnessing their ascent to blue-chip status, as has already occurred with artists like Pinero Belo and Marco Pariani<\/a>. Then there\u2019s British artist Rex Southwick, whom Gambino connected with through Instagram, and that connection became an ongoing exchange: Gambino would send Southwick photos of the villas he sold, Southwick would reinterpret them in his signature kaleidoscopically vibrant palette, and Gambino would gift the paintings to the homes\u2019 new owners. As a result, Southwick\u2019s work has since entered the collections of major celebrities and prominent families on both coasts.<\/p>\n

On multiple occasions, Gambino has taken an active role in supporting artists beyond collecting\u2014helping to place works, encouraging friends to buy and offering financial support when artists reach institutional milestones, such as LaKela Brown<\/a>\u2019s recent exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.<\/p>\n

But when it comes to introducing others to the art world, Gambino acknowledged that barriers remain. Friends with limited budgets often feel excluded, prompting him to encourage small beginnings\u2014school shows, emerging artists, direct purchases. Friends with significant means face different risks\u2014primarily being taken advantage of. \u201cIn both cases, I try to bring them with me, introduce trusted people, help them understand how it works,\u201d he said. \u201cThe art world is a business, whether you like it or not. I don\u2019t treat it like a business\u2014it\u2019s a passion\u2014but relationships matter. That\u2019s true in every industry. I just happened to spend years building them here, and fortunately, it intersects naturally with my work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much has changed\u2014both positively and negatively\u2014within the ultra-contemporary segment where Gambino focuses. There is more work circulating now and greater accessibility, but also more filtering and increased difficulty in identifying who will endure. What feels genuinely encouraging, Gambino notes, is the growing recognition by major galleries of the importance of emerging spaces, and the shift toward collaboration rather than competition. \u201cYou see partnerships now\u2014like Pace working with KDR\u2014and I think that\u2019s actually wonderful. That didn\u2019t really happen before.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Art, books and design objects coexist without hierarchy. From Top: Jess Cochrane, Claudia Keep, Jean-Pierre Villafane. On bench Purvis Young |Photo: Gloria Kilbourne<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They agree the ecosystem feels more approachable today than when they first started. \u201cGalleries are quicker to show work, more open to access and less guarded. Some of the old games still exist\u2014the pressure, the implied expectations\u2014but we see far less of it now, especially as more work becomes available digitally,\u201d Gambino reflected.<\/p>\n

Many purchases now occur remotely, sometimes without the opportunity to see the work in person. \u201cFor certain works, if you don\u2019t buy online, you simply won\u2019t get them unless you\u2019re willing to fly around the world constantly,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes I\u2019ve seen other works by the artist before, sometimes it\u2019s intuition and sometimes it\u2019s trust in the gallery. That\u2019s why relationships still matter.\u201d He recognizes that this may be a generational aspect. Growing up digitally means being comfortable experiencing the world through screens, making younger buyers more comfortable with this particular structural reality of contemporary collecting.<\/p>\n

Still, art fairs remain a central part of Gambino\u2019s passion\u2014and something he really enjoys. Despite becoming more selective about travel due to time and work constraints, the excitement hasn\u2019t faded. \u201cIf I could, I\u2019d go to every fair on the planet. Basel, Armory Week\u2014that\u2019s my favorite time of year,\u201d he said. \u201cI love real estate, I love my job, I\u2019m grateful for it, but if I could spend most of my time just looking at art, I would.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gambino and Ivory\u2019s relationship to collecting differs, yet it\u2019s clear they complement one another. For him, the passion borders on obsession\u2014returning to fairs day after day, rewalking aisles endlessly. For Ivory, one pass is enough. \u201cWe\u2019re very different that way. He will go back to a fair every single day. I\u2019ll walk through once, see what I like, and that\u2019s it. I hit saturation faster,\u201d Ivory acknowledged. But the balance works. One researches; the other responds instinctively. The final decision is always made together, and most often comes down to a simple question: do we want to live with this?<\/i><\/p>\n

If Gambino and Ivory\u2019s collecting began as an instinctive extension of travel and curiosity, long before they understood the art world\u2019s complex machinations, a decade later, their Brooklyn Heights home tells the story of a collection shaped by relationships, intuition and a desire to live closely with art rather than speculate on it.<\/p>\n

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The paintings in the collection depict unguarded gestures and domestic moments. Painting by Jeffrey Cheung | Photo: Gloria Kilbourne<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More art collector profiles<\/h3>\n

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